James Howells, who accidentally threw away a hard drive containing $800M in bitcoin, plans to buy the Welsh landfill to retrieve it after years of legal battles.
 |
| After years of legal struggles, James Howells wants to purchase the Newport landfill to recover a hard drive containing nearly $800 million in bitcoin he accidentally discarded. Image courtesy: Independent |
Newport, Wales – February 15, 2025:
James Howells, a man who accidentally discarded a hard drive containing an estimated $800 million in bitcoin back in 2013, has launched an ambitious new plan to recover his digital fortune: buying the landfill.
Howells, who accidentally threw away the drive while clearing out his house, has been fighting for years to retrieve the device, which was disposed of at the Docksway Landfill in Newport, located 12 miles northeast of Cardiff. In 2021, he even offered Newport City Council $70 million to dig up the site, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
His most recent attempt follows a January ruling by a British High Court judge who dismissed his legal bid to force the council to allow an excavation. Howells’ new strategy is to simply purchase the landfill site. He shared this plan on social media, stating that funding for the purchase is secured, though he did not specify the source.
The hard drive in question, which Howells mistakenly threw away, is believed to contain the private key to his bitcoin wallet, which he mined in the early days of cryptocurrency. Since then, bitcoin’s value has soared, pushing the worth of his lost coins to nearly $800 million. Without the private key, Howells cannot access the funds.
Newport City Council has opposed excavation efforts, citing legal restrictions and environmental concerns. The site is slated for closure in the 2025/26 financial year, but the council has repeatedly stated it is unable to permit the excavation due to the potential environmental impact and the prohibitive costs involved.
Despite these obstacles, Howells remains determined to recover the treasure hidden deep in the landfill.